


getting caught up in the circus-like atmosphere, feeling less responsible to conventional ethical practices

by flightlessbirdss



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Crack, F/M, Family Drama, a table is broken multiple times, jinora is struggling, tenminghua, that is genuinely all this is
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:42:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27719719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flightlessbirdss/pseuds/flightlessbirdss
Summary: “Yeah butcan you believe it--” Korra was just about ready to go into another rant, before Bolin jumped in. “Well, is it really a surprise?”That threw everyone in the room for a loop, all three of them looking at him blankly.“I just mean… enemies to lovers right? What a classic trope it seems inevitable.”—Or, Tenzin’s mid life crisis, and the many awkward family dinners that follow.
Relationships: Ming Hua/Tenzin
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8





	getting caught up in the circus-like atmosphere, feeling less responsible to conventional ethical practices

**Author's Note:**

  * For [opalsupremacy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/opalsupremacy/gifts).



> this is probably the dumbest thing i have ever written which is saying something, but it is in fact the first tag in tenminghua so that's something. this is completely dedicated to opalsupremacy, who is very passionate about tenminghua, also very talented if you want to check out her works!! title is from warmth by bastille.

“...Pema?”

She looked up from where she was sitting, comfortably domestic in their family home. She smiled softly, at her husband. “Yes?” 

Upon noticing the look on his face, she furrowed her brows in concern. 

“Everything alright?”

Tenzin... froze.

What could he say? How could he begin to truly explain, the emotions that he has been feeling the past few months. The internal conflict and change he’d been feeling. He hadn’t _wanted_ this to happen. 

Thinking about what he was about to do, it didn’t make him happy. His family, he loved them, he would never want to hurt them. 

But while he was married, he could never be who he wanted to be. Never be with who he wanted to be with. How could he ever truly be happy, knowing who he had to leave behind?

“Pema,” he tried again. His voice was serious, eyes sad. “I think...”

“Yes?”

He took a deep breath. Remembered who he was doing this for. “I think we should get a divorce.”

Pema blinked once. twice. “...I’m sorry what?”

—

It had started, all those months ago, during the fight against the Red Lotus. 

That time had been… stressful. He had worried, for his children, his family, friends. He himself, had been in danger many times. 

But it was those times in danger that allowed him to see deeper into himself. To _know_ himself, and what he wanted. And it was during this time that somehow, inexplicably, he had fallen in love. 

It was awful, he knew. How could he possibly fall in love with another while he was married? Devoted, happily to his wife? But yet… had it not happened? Was it not beautiful, to love someone? Wholly and fully, to know yourself by being one with another?

He never could have had that with Pema. 

He never could have that, with the life he led, as a domestic man, an elite in society, burdened, by the tragedy of his father, of his culture. He never had a choice in who he wanted to be. About the type of life he had to lead. 

But now, he knew. He knew what he wanted. And who he wanted. 

And as much as he was scared of this change, he wanted it. So so badly. 

To be with his love, perhaps the love of his life. To live his life how he wanted. The freedom he craved, the freedom he felt he deserved. Was that not the spirit of air— freedom?

So he had a difficult conversation with his (ex)wife. He had, perhaps, an even more difficult conversation with his children.

The custody battle was… not much of a battle. But he did secure visitation, every weekend so long as his children wished. 

All of this, he did for them. For himself, and who he loved. 

Finally, he went to her. His soulmate, finally divorced, he could be with her…

Seeing her, he smiled. It was a soft smile, one of true love and adoration. 

“Tenzin,” she breathed. 

He ran forward, finally together he wrapped his arms around her. 

_Together,_ he thought. _Finally, I can be me. We can be us._

“I love you….” he left the embrace, looked deeply into her eyes. Somber and dark, he couldn’t help but think they were beautiful. “Ming Hua.”

—

Sitting at the dinner table, in his family home at the Southern Water Tribe Tenzin feels almost nostalgic for his childhood. 

Of course, many things have changed since then. And he has big news to share. 

His family is aware of the divorce, but not of the reasoning. He was hoping to let them know tonight. 

Arriving at the house for their monthly family dinner, he felt prepared for this moment (he had practiced it in front of a mirror many times the past week) but also very scared. His family was supportive of course, no matter what, but he knew that this was…. a complicated situation. 

His siblings and mother of course offered their sympathies over the divorce when he arrived, but he hadn’t felt ready to explain everything right when he arrived. 

His first plan was to just bring Ming Hua to the dinner and introduce her, but he had a funny feeling that wouldn’t have gone over well. 

He didn’t want their first impression of each other (well okay not the _first_ but first when they were in a relationship) to be attacking his fiancée at a family dinner. 

He took a deep breath, calling the attention of his siblings and mother. 

“So… I have news,” he started. 

“Wow,” Kya said unenthusiastically. “You have _news_?”

“Well… yes.”

“It sure sounds important,” Bumi said. 

Probably not very seriously, Tenzin realized. Nothing Bumi did was ever very serious. 

“Now now,” Katara said. “I’m sure it’s very important.”

“I think so,” Tenzin agreed. There was an awkward silence. 

“ _Well?_ ” Kya prompted. 

Tenzin just let out a sigh. Might as well just get it over with, he figured. 

“As you know,” he started. “Me and Pema are… divorced.”

“Yes, and we’re all very sorry about that,” Katara said kindly. Tenzin is suddenly overcome with a deep thankfulness for his mother. “and if you ever need support we’re all here for you, you know that.”

“And I… appreciate that,” he said with great difficulty. “However the reason me and Pema split was because… well I love another.”

There was a moment of silence. No one really seemed to know what to say. 

“Who?” Kya asked. 

“Well that’s a funny story,” Tenzin said with a light laugh. “If you must know… it’s someone we all know.”

“Oh!” Katara exclaimed. “Is it Lin?” 

“You two always had a thing for each other,” Bumi commented. “It was always so obvious. This isn’t really a surprise.”

Kya’s face was one of horror. 

“No it’s… it’s not Lin.”

“...Izumi?” Bumi tried. 

“Why would it be _Izumi_ what is wrong with you—“ Kya yelled. 

“It’s not any of them,” Tenzin said. “It’s Ming Hua,” he finished frustratedly. 

…

“Um,” Bumi said. He seemed to be the only one with the ability to speak at the moment. “Funny joke, Tenzin?” he laughed weakly. 

“Oh no,” Tenzin said. “Not a joke.”

“Well,” Bumi said. “At least I’m not the family disappointment anymore!”

Tenzin did not quite know what to say to that. 

Kya looked to be on the verge of a very violent breakdown, it was only the calming hand of Katara on her arm that prevented her from leaping over the table and attacking Tenzin. 

“And are you happy?” Katara asked. “With her?”

“Oh yes. So incredibly happy.”

“Then,” Katara said, looking sharply at Kya and Bumi to prevent them from saying anything. “I am happy for you. I hope you know that you are free to love whoever you want to love— and your family will always support you.”

“ _Mom,”_ Kya said. “That’s the same thing you said to me when I came out to you!”

Katara blinked. “I suppose so, yes.”

_“It’s not the same thing at all_!”

“Well,” Bumi cut in. “You could make an argument—“

“Oh you shut up,” she said to him “And _you_ ,” she turned to Tenzin. “explain yourself.”

“What’s there to explain?” he asked innocently. “I love her.”

“...you know,” Kya said. “I came here to deliver news also.”

“Oh how nice,” Katara said, seemingly incredibly unbothered by recent events. 

“Me and Lin,” she said, very happily. “are dating.”

“What my _ex?_ ” Tenzin exclaimed. “Kya _what?”_

_“_ You don’t really have a leg to stand on right now Tenzin,” Bumi pointed out. 

“Yeah but my ex?”

“ _A murderer?”_ Kya asked. 

“Fine.” Tenzin said. “I’m happy for you. I suppose.”

“And I _suppose_ ,” Kya said, with great difficulty, “That I’m happy for you too.”

Katara clapped her hands together. “Perfect! Oh you know I love our family dinners.”

—

There was something weird going on, Korra knew. 

The last few weeks, it seemed like everyone was ignoring her. Ever since moving out with Asami, she hadn’t been back to Air Temple Island and no one had even bothered to invite her to visit! 

And it wasn’t that she was personally offended, they didn’t need to make an effort to keep in contact with her after the move. She just thought that after those years together, she might’ve meant something more to them. Like, enough to even want to keep in contact with. 

She wasn’t even looking for a lot, maybe just to be invited around for a family dinner every now and then. 

“Maybe you should just visit,” Mako was saying. “It’s not like they’d be upset to see you, they love you.”

“Yeah but,” Korra sighed. “I don’t know it’s just been _weird_ lately. Especially Tenzin, last time I saw him he seemed to be talking to himself in front of a mirror.”

“Okay,” Mako said, looking a little hurt. “That’s… not exactly weird. And especially if you’re concerned, just go. We can go now,” he offered. “Just stop by.”

Korra stopped to think about it. As much as she loathed to admit it, she wanted to see them. And Mako was probably right, it’s not like they would really mind, besides it was Air Temple island and she _was_ an airbender. 

“Fine,” she agreed. “It’ll be good to see them, it’s been a while.”

—

“ _Ming Hua_ ,” Korra let out a noise that was very close to an inhuman scream. “You’re telling me…”

“Yes,” Jinora repeated. “My parents are divorcing because my dad is in love with Ming Hua.”

Korra did not expect this turn of events when she finally visited Air Temple Island. 

She was expecting a warm welcome, maybe she would have a conversation with Tenzin, play with Ikki or Meelo, steal some food from the kitchen (she was a little hungry) but that all went out the window the moment Jinora greeted them. 

The news of the divorce was upsetting of course, Tenzin and Pema has always seemed like such a sweet couple. But knowing that Tenzin, her mentor, her airbending teacher, her…. father figure? maybe?

And _Ming Hua_ …

She lost her appetite the moment she found out. Which sucked, because she really had been looking forward to Pema’s cooking. 

“I just… I don’t understand,” Korra said. She looked to Mako for support, who looked shell shocked. “This is crazy right?”

Mako didn’t say anything, just stared into space, probably still processing the news. 

Him and Ming Hua had a… very tense relationship, he had been awfully close to killing her once. She hoped Tenzin didn’t want Mako to meet her or anything, that would just be horribly awkward. 

“I don’t pretend to understand the way of the heart,” Jinora said. “It is awfully crazy though, I suppose you’re right. I’m… sad but as long as my parents are happy, that’s what matters right?”

Korra did not personally agree with that, but didn’t feel like arguing with a teenager, especially considering the circumstances. It just seemed cruel, in a way. 

“Shouldn’t she be in jail?” Mako asked, finally regaining the ability to speak. 

Jinora paused. “I… guess? You know I didn’t really ask, there seemed to be more pressing concerns.”

Mako blinked. “Yeah… yeah that makes sense.”

Korra found him very relatable in that moment, because well really w _hat the fuck_ — but she was the fucking Avatar, had saved the world god knows how many times, mastered all four elements— she could deal with whatever this was. 

She couldn’t afford to have the breakdown Mako seemed to be having, no matter how much she wanted to. 

And she would especially not react worse than Jinora, a literal twelve year old who was more directly impacted than Korra ever was. 

That being said, she really needed to have a conversation with Tenzin. 

Like, _really_. 

—

“And— and I just can’t even begin to describe the emotions that I’m feeling right now Tenzin I really can’t after everything she did to us I….. I….” Korra paused to recollect her thoughts, the first time she had done so since she had stormed in to talk to Tenzin nearly twenty minutes ago. 

“... are you done?” Tenzin asked hopefully. 

“ _Am I done?”_

“Korra I understand why you’re upset,” he tried again. “Truly I do. And as much as I’d like to explain myself, there’s nothing to _explain_ Korra, I love her.”

“Yeah but _why?_ ”

Tenzin just sighed again. After the remarkably calm reaction from his family, he naively hadn’t expected this from anyone else, he’d truly thought it would be the most difficult dealing with his family. 

But Pema had been nothing but supportive, if not shocked. Very shocked. He still internally cringed when he remembered that original conversation they’d had. 

But the divorce was amicable, and they were still friends. Awkward friends, but for the children they could both come through. 

And the kids. The kids had really taken everything in stride— he was as proud of them as always. 

But he hadn’t expected this type of reaction from Korra— though in retrospect perhaps he should have, maybe that was the subconscious reason he’d put off letting her know for so long. Though he felt a little bad it was Jinora who had to tell her. Felt a little bad for everything in general. 

But when he thought about her, when he thought about the life they could finally lead together— they’d picked out a house and everything, the move was later this week— he really couldn’t feel anything but truly wholly happy. 

“Korra,” he said hopefully— he really hoped this worked. “We’re having a housewarming dinner later this week, the kids will be there and I was wondering if you could go as well?”

Korra paused. “...Can you tell me the address?”

—

“Are you… sure this is a good idea?” Ming Hua asked from where she stood in the dining room— _their_ dining room, Tenzin thought fondly. 

Finding a place for the two of them to live together had been a little difficult, with Ming Hua being a wanted criminal and all, but they’d eventually settled on an isolated house in the swamps, decently big so the kids would have rooms when they visited. 

Tenzin loved it, loved every moment he spent with her, in their house, their family. 

He really just couldn’t be happier. 

He was nervous though, today was the day his kids and Korra would come by for dinner, and he really hoped it went well. 

He wanted the kids to have a good relationship with their stepmother after all, and he cared for Korra, did not want his love life to come between their mentorship. 

“I think it’ll be fine,” he tried to say confidently. “Besides, they’re my kids. I want them in my life. Our life.”

Ming Hua smiled at that. “I… guess. Okay. Yeah, okay.” She was uncharacteristically quiet. 

Tenzin was just about to say more, when the doorbell rang. 

“I guess they’re here?”

Tenzin’s stomach was working into knots as he went to answer the door— he’d spent all day preparing dinner, making sure it would be perfect. 

The table was all set, brand new cutlery gifted from his mother as a housewarming gift, their new dining table crafted from the finest woods of the swamps. 

Most things in their new house were wood, he was grateful there would be no firebenders tonight he didn’t exactly want that risk. 

He took a deep breath, opened the door. 

Jinora, Ikki and Meelo all stood hopefully by the door, Korra behind them, a sour look on her face. Well, he thought, at least she showed up. 

“Daddy!” Ikki cried out, wrapping herself around his legs. Meelo launched himself into Tenzin’s arms, and Jinora reached out to grab his free hand. “We missed you,” she said simply. 

“Yeah,” Tenzin said softly. “I missed you guys too. You’re always welcome here you know, I want this to be your home too.”

After a moment, Korra awkwardly stepped in from the porch. “So…” she said. “I heard there was food?”

—

The dinner was… well it was going, Tenzin could admit, just about as well as one could hope given the circumstances. 

Meelo and Ikki at the very least, who were oblivious to the obvious growing tension, seemed to be having a blast, interrogating Ming Hua on her life as a criminal.

She didn’t seem to mind, which Tenzin was immensely grateful for. He wasn’t sure how she would react to the kids, but it seemed to be well enough. He was a little concerned about the violence in her words, though he couldn't say it was surprising.

Korra, on the other hand, had not eaten a single thing. Which was surprising, considering Korra had seemed most excited about the food. 

And it was good, Tenzin knew, because he was the one who had dedicated hours of his life perfecting the dishes just so the dinner would be perfect. 

Ming Hua had laughed at him, but had helped him as much as she could, especially with doing the shopping, as much as she could being a wanted criminal and all. 

Maybe the food wasn’t good actually, maybe his cooking could never actually compare to Pema’s, maybe his children could never feel comfortable here, at this home. 

Perhaps Ming Hua could sense his anxieties as a borderline awkward silence fell over the table, she always seemed to tell what was going on with him, understood him better than anyone else. 

“So…” she said, very very awkwardly. He just appreciated that she was trying. “How’s everyone’s food?” She was smiling aggressively. It looked very unnatural. 

Meelo leaped up in his seat. “It’s good! It’s like so so good honestly the best casserole I’ve ever had also the mac and cheese it’s kinda like the pictures on the boxes at the grocery store mom never lets us buy—“

“Wow that’s so weird,” Tenzin chuckled. 

He had run out of time when prepping for the meal, and he’d figured it was fine. 

“It’s so so good,” Ikki agreed. “Honestly you should like… quit your job and become a chef.”

“I… don’t have a job to quit, right now.” He obviously couldn’t continue his career in politics, considering his current circumstances. Same for Ming Hua, it was not like she was very employable. 

Still though, they made the finances work. It’s not like they got taxed, where they lived in the Swamp. It was partially, he knew, why Toph has moved here, in the middle of nowhere. 

Toph was… very anti-authoritative, to this day he was not quite sure why she had invented cops. 

One day, when he was younger, he had asked about that. All she had said was that she would never forgive herself. Tenzin had never brought it up again. 

He had actually seen Toph more often since he’d moved to the Swamp, technically he supposed, they were neighbors?

She’d brought a statue of herself as a housewarming gift, it was actually quite realistic and stunning. Her and Ming Hua had actually hit it off, talking all night about society and anarchism. It had taken Ming Hua a little bit of time to get over the whole cop thing, but they’d made it work. 

Maybe if they had leftovers after tonight they could invite Toph over, she was very fond of mac and cheese. Though the way Meelo and Ikki were eating, he wasn’t sure how much leftovers there would be. 

“That’s perfect then,” Jinora pointed out, taking him out of his thoughts. “You can just become a caterer without quitting anything.” 

It was the most she said all night, and he appreciated her efforts, though he didn’t like how awkward she felt, he knew that out of all his children it was Jinora who understood just how truly complicated this situation was. It made her support however, even more appreciated.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said. That was a lie, he had no interest in becoming a caterer. Or cooking in general, he really only tried for his family. 

Now that Jinora had broken her silence, there was only one other person at the table who had not spoken yet. It was the same person who had also not touched their food, no matter how much the others raved about how apparently good it was. 

He hadn’t wanted to say anything, and maybe he still shouldn’t-- but Korra just looked tense and uncomfortable, and he wasn’t sure if it would be worse to just let it go on.

“Korra,” he tried. “Is everything… all right?”

Korra’s eye twitched. “...all right?”

Tenzin blinked. “Yes?”

Next to him, Ming Hua tensed. He wasn’t sure why, he trusted Korra, though he understood why she might not.

Korra, then suddenly picked up her plate of food, that Tenzin had worked very hard on, and threw it against the wall.

“Oh dear,” said Tenzin. The mix of food stuck to the wall, rather unappetizingly. 

“Oh dear,” Ming Hua mocked. “Is everything… all right?” she asked sweetly.

Korra opened her mouth, and then closed it. Then tried again, but gave up.

Instead, in a burst of strength Tenzin only knew her capable of because they had trained together, she brought her fist down on the table, denting it nearly in half.

The food, once again went everywhere ( _hours_ , he had labored) and everyone around the table sat in shock.

Until Ming Hua stood up, eyes comically wide. He thought there might’ve been tears, but she bent them away too quickly to notice.

“My _table_ ,” she cried.

And then, chaos broke out.

Meelo burst out of his seat to inspect the damage, Tenzin hoped, and not to eat the mess of food that had essentially exploded throughout the room. 

Ikki, looking amazed, latched onto Korra’s arm, impressed by that move ( _Oh my God oh my God that was so cool Korra you’re amazing_ \--) 

It was awfully similar to how she had acted when she’d first met Ming Hua, amazed by her bending skills, and looking to his left, Ming Hua looked almost jealous. Angry too. Which was fair, he supposed, their table was just destroyed. 

Jinora picked a stray piece of mac and cheese out of her hair. He felt particularly bad for her, Jinora was an angel-- she did not deserve this.

“ _My table_ ,” Ming Hua repeated.

Korra stormed out of the room. 

Tenzin followed, catching her at the porch.

“ _Korra_ ,” he said. “Korra, talk to me please?”

“About _what_?” Korra asked. “Your new wife? That literally tortured all of us for fun with her friends?”

“Well… yes,” Tenzin said. “And she’s not my wife yet-- we’re only engaged.”

Korra let out something close to a scream, stomping her foot in frustration-- “They hurt me!” she said. “They hurt me and they hurt you and all of us how can you just act like that didn’t happen? Sitting at that table--” she paused to breathe. “I couldn’t eat the food Tenzin, all I could think about was the poison. What if… if…”

“I’m sorry,” Tenzin said. “That I didn’t think about that, or take your feelings into account as I should have.”

Korra’s eyes were glassy too, but he noticed no stray tears, what was it with waterbenders and crying?

She took a deep breath, but Tenzin continued.

“I wanted you here,” he said, “because I care about you, and I want to have you in my life still, along with my children. But it doesn’t have to be here, or with her either.”

Korra nodded. “Yeah I… yeah that’d be better.” There was a pause, and then, “I’m not sorry for breaking the table.”

That hurt Tenzin a little bit, though he would not admit it. It was a very nice table. And funds were limited-- there was no way the replacement could be nearly as nice, though maybe it wasn’t too broken to fix? 

That was unlikely, Korra had basically broken it in half. As her mentor, he was mostly proud. As a table owner however, rather sad.

“That’s fine,” he said. “It’s not a big deal anyway.” 

That was a lie, also. He found himself lying a lot more lately.

“If you want to practice airbending,” Korra said, “you could visit me in Republic City? Me and Asami moved out recently, you could have dinner there and hopefully it would be better than tonight.”

Tenzin smiled. Truly, he did not deserve these people in his life. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

He walked back into the dining room to see that there was still chaos-- Meelo was in fact, eating the mac and cheese that had flown everywhere.

Ikki, it seemed, had annoyed Ming Hua into showing her new waterbending moves-- and trying to mimic it with air.

Jinora had taken a book out, sometime in the chaos. She seemed to be having a nice time.

“Um…” he said. “Does anyone want dessert?”

Meelo leaped into the air-- “I do!”

\--

“And then--” Korra said, well on her way of completing her nearly twenty minute rant on the dinner, as she circled dramatically around the room-- “and _then_ he had the audacity to wonder why I wasn’t eating the food after she and her friends literally fucking _poisoned me_ .”  
Asami, Mako and Bolin, all sitting on the couch in her and Asami’s living room, were watching very attently. 

She let out a sigh, sinking into the couch, next to Bolin. “I just… can’t believe this.”

“We know,” Asami said.

“Yeah,” Mako added. “You literally have not stopped talking about it since we found out.”

“Yeah but _can you believe it--_ ” she was just about ready to go into another rant, before Bolin jumped in. “Well, is it really a surprise?”

That threw everyone in the room for a loop, all three of them looking at him blankly.

“I just mean… enemies to lovers right? What a classic trope it seems inevitable.”

“Ming Hua literally tried to kill Tenzin,” Mako said. “And all of us.”

“Okay and?”

“... I don’t know what else to say,” Mako said.

“Can you really call yourselves enemies if you don’t try to kill each other?” Bolin tried.

“Okay but that still doesn’t answer my question,” Korra said. “ _Why_?”

Bolin just shrugged. “Maybe they love each other, have you ever thought of that?”

“They do,” Korra said dejectedly. “That’s the worst part.” 

The way that Tenzin and Ming Hua had looked at each other at dinner-- it almost reminded her of how she looked at Asami. That thought had disgusted her. 

It was undeniable that they cared for each other, that somehow when Tenzin looked at Ming Hua he saw something other than an unhinged murderer with anger issues, and Ming Hua, _Ming Hua_ , looked at Tenzin like she cared about him. 

Korra had not thought she was capable of caring about anyone before.

She had gone to the dinner, in hopes of understanding… she didn’t know _something_. Like, maybe Ming Hua was secretly manipulating Tenzin into abandoning his family and thinking he loved her. Or that there was some mind control. Or that the whole thing was one big prank. 

She didn’t expect to come out more confused than before, more angry. 

“Was anything about the trip good?” Mako tried. “Like… was the food good?”

Asami threw a pillow at him. “ _What_?” he asked.

Korra just buried her face in her hands. “Just… leave me alone.”


End file.
